IND vs AUS: No team is weak at home, warns Ravi Shastri

India's head coach Shastri says Aussies cannot be taken for granted despite the absence of Smith and Warner

Despite the ball tampering saga, a wretched recent record along with the absence of key players in David Warner and Steven Smith, India's head coach Ravi Shastri believes Australian cricket has not lost its aura and the team will still present a tough challenge for the visitors.

"I don't think so... once you have that sporting culture, you will always have that and I always believe that no team is weak at home. We might have three or four players not playing when a team comes to India but God forbid anyone who says it's a weak Indian team. So similarly, we are taking no prisoners, we want to put our best foot forward and focus on our game rather than theirs," Shastri said here yesterday.

Ever since Cricket Australia released the findings of a culture review earlier this month, there are high expectations on the current Australia team to tone down their natural aggression and be nice guys. Shastri, however, was unconcerned about the brand of cricket Australia play and felt it is the performances with the bat and ball that should matter.

"At the end of the day, I don't care if a [Glenn] McGrath or a [Shane] Warne said something or did something. They would have still taken wickets. When you are good at what you do, it doesn't matter which side you are playing for, that cricketer will do well." India have never won a Test series Down Under, but Shastri was confident this team can finally break the Australian jinx. "Yes, given the way this team have been playing for the last four-five years and especially the way they played here last time in 2014-15," he said when the possibility of a win was brought up. "Experience-wise and the amount of touring in the last four-five years and the mistakes they have made on the earlier tours, will hold us in good stead," he said.

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